"The idea that poetry comes from beyond oneself is vital, as is the sense that one writes a poem in a condition that is often associated with a spiritual position, i.e., the condition of humility. One doesn't know what one's doing and is inspired in that respect. But it doesn't mean one's completely inert, or passive; rather it's just about allowing a poem to come from wherever it comes from and getting it into the world."
—Paul Muldoon, winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Moy Sand and Gravel

"I feel my way into a poem. There is no topic that is taboo. And even if I were to avoid certain topics, they would return to me, beckoning, and demanding to be written."
—Yusef Komunyakaa, winner of the 1994 Pulitzer prize for Neon Vernacular

"There seem to be no deals you can make with poetry to entice it out of its lair. A poem, actually any writing, is always a private thing, and that is how I must begin. It must have that secret source."
—Billy Collins, U.S. poet laureate, 2001–2003

"I think lines of poetry come to you whenever they come. You could be waiting for the dentist and suddenly you'll get an image or a line and you write it down. I write on the backs of envelopes, parking tickets—whatever I have at hand because you cannot lasso the muse. I really believe you can't force a lot of this. Now, I passionately believe in revision, and that you have to try to write in a disciplined way as much as you can. But I do think there are moments that you suddenly get something, given to you as a gift from the imagination, and you have to honor those moments as well."
—Carol Muske-Dukes, California Poet Laureate and professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Southern California

During his poet laureate tenure Merwin hopes to remind people of this bond, and of the spark of compassion and creativity that resides within us, below our rational minds, below our love of all things shiny and speedy and new, and his arsenal consists entirely of words; words that somehow—when combined with other words in a certain rhythm—evoke images and emotions in an inexplicable, alchemical way. "People say they don't read poetry because they don't understand it," Merwin points out. "But you don't start by understanding it; you begin by physically responding to it: You're hearing something. You're moved. It's not because you just understood a calculus problem—something's got to you, you're not quite sure why and how." In a great poem, the whole is far more than the sum of the parts. This is as true in the stanzas as it is in a field of spring wildflowers or an old-growth forest, and the same soul nourishment resides there.

“I know lots of words” said she,
“that flow and swirl in imagination
making patterns of colours
like entwined rainbows in a
clear bright morning sky;
and as they fall upon the sands of time
leave a fragrance of meaning
and memories behind
which somehow defy the dry,
naked dictionary definitions,
as if they were mere skeletons
until adorned with a heart and soul
and find a secret music
to which they dance through mind
to pour out onto the stage of life.”

She, my muse, she knows what poetry is;
and I never will._________________David

Answering the query of “where do poems come from” is a lot like that. I’m quite often tempted to reply with a tongue-in-cheek smile, “Oh, i have a bit black ebook with a list of all the ideas in it. After I want new suggestions and concept all I need to do is open that magical little ebook, decide upon out an inspiration, and start writing here

I'm not sure what you are calling inspiration, Antony, but why don't you try out your idea so we can see if it works? If it does you may have evolved the whole subject of English Literature in one fell swoop.

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